Finally Home
by AAnitab
Summary: There are only two girls in the universe that James T Kirk ever really loved. You've all met the Starship Enterprise. Now meet Amanda Uhura, daughter of Spock. Spock/Uhura romance, Kirk friendship.


Finally Home

By AnitaB

Author's notes: I own nothing and nothing I do own would be worth getting in a lawsuit.

This started as the nagging idea that there were only two girls that Jim and had really loved, the Enterprise and Spock's daughter. While that line didn't end up sticking, the rest of this scene just wouldn't get out of my head. So here it is. It's a sequel of sorts to "Temperature Discrepancies" but can stand alone. Weirdly enough, it's very romantic, but not smutty at all. I'm not sure what to peg the rating.

Finally Home

By AnitaB

James Tiberius Kirk had a reputation. He was a hound-dog, plain and simple. Anyone female could turn his head and his hormones with little to no effort. He'd earned that reputation a dozen times or more, maybe hundreds since she'd known him. In fact, he'd spent the first three years they'd known each other on a single-minded quest to get into her uniform skirts, when he wasn't already inside someone else's. Even now, with her married to his best friend and first officer, she could count on him for a dirty joke or an appreciative leer. But right now, Jim wasn't a dumb hick who slept with farm animals. He wasn't a heartless libertine, sniffing for tail. At this moment in time, James Tiberius Kirk was in love. She'd known him for years now and she'd bet her best boots that he had never looked at a girl like that before in his whole life.

The fact that the girl in question was a tiny, squalling newborn with pointed ears and milk chocolate skin… that was a cosmic joke. "Uhura, she's beautiful." A careful finger stroked a tiny cheek before even tinier hands clutched at his pinkie. Huge dark eyes opened in that precious little face, locking gaze with the Starfleet captain holding her like he was afraid he'd break her. "What's her name?"

Nyota Uhura smiled and saw a tiny twitch and curve of lips on Spock's face as well. Jim was just so cute standing in the middle of the medical bay cooing to the newborn held so carefully in his arms. "We're naming her Amanda." She leaned her head against her husband's shoulder and felt his arms tighten around her just a little. "For Spock's mother."

"Hey there, Mandy. I'm your uncle Jim and you're my pretty, little, chocolate Vulcan, aren't you, sweetie?" His fingertips traced the curve and point of her ear before tickling under a tiny chin. The baby stopped crying and gave the cutest little laugh and wiggle in his arms. "That's my girl, give me that pretty smile."

"Is he flirting with our newborn daughter?" Spock's voice in her ear held the warmth of humor to ears well-practiced enough to hear it. "I do not comprehend the human tendency for nicknames." Warm hands slid over her waist to rest where their child used to be just hours before. Now the move was a shorter and easier trip, but still as sweet.

During the pregnancy, she'd been hard put to move around the ship at all without one of the many men on this crew touching or talking to her belly. Jim had touched her more in the last nine months than in the prior four years combined. At least Spock had the excuse of being the father and Bones of being the doctor.

"He's only flirting a little. He can't help it and think of nicknames like a form of bonding." Nyota knew Spock was just as charmed as she was at the sight of Jim bonding with their daughter. You might not want the man dating your sister, but there was never a better friend or captain in the whole fleet. Jim was a good man and he'd make a great god-father. A child in his care would be the safest baby in the known universe.

"We should take her to the bridge and introduce her to the crew." Jim didn't even look up when he made the suggestion, his eyes locked on the tiny girl cradled to his chest. "Everyone's been waiting a long time to meet you, baby girl. You have more uncles than any child alive."

"Not yet, Jim." Mccoy leaned against a nearby console and watched the proceedings with a smile. "Mother and daughter still need a few more hours of recovery before they go tramping all over this ship. Doctor's orders."

"Everything's--" Jim finally looked up from the child in his arms, concern written on his face.

"Everything's fine, Jim. No complications at all. But that child in your arms is only two hours old. Give it some time, man."

Nyota had an idea. Pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, she twined her fingers through his. "Spock, my husband, take your daughter and the captain to the bridge so your wife can take a nap." She winked at Bones across the room, who rolled his eyes and then nodded agreement.

He arched an eyebrow at her until she nodded a confirmation. Spock then gave her a soft kiss before carefully untangling himself from their embrace to stand at her bedside. "Sleep, Nyota, we will be back soon." His hand was the last bit of contact as he stroked his fingertips down the edge of her temple with a flicker of touch-telepathy. //I love you, Nyota.\\

He took two steps to reach Jim's side and put out his arms. "Give me my daughter, Jim, and let's show her off to the crew."

McCoy smiled and huffed a little. "I want that baby girl back in my medical bay in no more than one hour. Do you two hear me, daddy Spock and uncle Jim?"

The first officer and the captain both replied, "Yes, Doctor," but didn't look up due to the careful exchange of baby Amanda.

000

Once Spock had his newborn cradled against his chest again, he gazed down into her eyes. She was so beautiful, from her mother's eyes, to his ears, from the dark hair on her head to her tiny delicate little toes. Her hand, an almost perfect blending of his and Nyota's skin tones, clutched at his finger as she gurgled up at him. The tiniest flicker of her presence in his mind brought a full smile to his lips. His baby girl was so happy it almost brought tears to his eyes. Holding that faintest of mind-melds, Spock gave her both the feeling and the words. "Hello, Amanda. I love you, my daughter." There were no words yet in his daughter's mind, just pure feeling and the barest beginning of pictures: himself, Nyota, and … Jim. His eyebrow arched on its own. Spock raised his head and looked at his friend and captain. "She likes you, Jim."

"Of course she does, Spock. I'm her uncle Jim." Smiling widely, Jim looked down at the baby and put an arm around her father. "Come on, the entire crew's going to abandon their posts soon if we don't take her to the bridge and let them see her."

"After you," Spock trailed Jim through the ship with his baby girl cradled in protective arms. As the bridge doors slid open before them, every head turned. Spock was just a little shocked at the expectant joy on each of those faces.

"Sit down here," Jim guided him to the Captain's chair and turned to Chekov. "Open the ship's communications band. Visual and audio." He then stood behind the chair with a hand on Spock's shoulder as he began an announcement to every deck. "This is your Captain speaking. I am happy to introduce the youngest member of the crew of the Starship Enterprise. This is Amanda Uhura, daughter of Spock. She is two hours old, 19 1/2 inches long and 7 pounds, 2 ounces. Mother and daughter are in perfect health and recovering nicely." He leaned down to push the blanket away from the baby's face and made sure to uncover her little pointed ears. "Welcome the first baby of the Starship Enterprise."

Spock glanced up from his daughter's face at the sound of applause and cheers, just a little surprised at the warmth of the smiles on the faces around him. His little girl was never going to suffer as the outcast he had been as a child. Two hours old and she already had the love and acceptance he had gotten only from his parents until he'd entered this ship and truly become one of her crew. If anyone ever tried to treat her with the anger and rejection he had received throughout his life, Spock had no doubt that any number of family or friends would come immediately to her defense. His family was home: a home that was beyond blood, or heritage, or duty. A home made of chosen family, dear friendship, and unconditional loyalty. The rush of emotions welling up in his chest threatened to overwhelm him.

Spock cleared his throat, not at all sure that his voice would work without cracking. He lifted the little girl higher against his shoulder so she was easier to see and included in his words. "Amanda and I would like to express our gratitude for your thoughts and well-wishes. We are… happy to call you our family and the Enterprise our home. We could neither ask nor hope for anything better." Amanda, for her part, contributed a happy sounding gurgle and a wide baby smile. "Thank you all."

Chekov had opened the communications band on both ends. And at the end of his words, Spock could hear the applause and cheers get even louder, could even identify within the cacophony voices he knew well from different departments of the ship. His daughter wasn't the only one who had found a home and family among these people. Spock, who had watched the destruction of Vulcan, the loss of his own mother, and the near destruction of her home-world, Earth, was finally at long last home himself.

If he didn't get himself and his child back to Nyota's side, he was going to publicly lose more control of his emotions than he was comfortable with. Spock sent a quick side glance up to Jim, who seemed to understand and thumped him gently on the shoulder. "Now, there's a little baby who needs to go back to her mommy and a bunch of weepy Starfleet crewmembers who need to get back to work. You'll all have plenty of time to spend with little Amanda in the next 18 years. Consider yourselves on the babysitting duty roster. Bridge out."

Wrapping Amanda back up in the blanket, Spock knew his hands were shaking just a little bit. "Thank you, Jim."

"You're welcome, Spock. Now get out of my chair and go see to your wife."

The walk back to the medical bay went quickly, but not quickly enough. But Nyota's smile fixed it from her spot on the bio-bed. "Spock, Amanda, come here."

"Sit up a little, Nyota." Spock laid Amanda in her arms and slid himself behind her on the bed to wrap his arms around both his precious girls. "The crew adored her, as if there was any doubt."

Nyota leaned back against his chest, getting comfortable in his arms and cuddling her baby girl closer to her heart. "And how do you feel, Spock?" She had always read him too well, from the very beginning.

"I feel… at home, my love. I have a home and a family, something I never truly expected to have again." Spock watched his own hands slid over Nyota's arms to rest on little Amanda's back. "We are finally home, and I find myself overwhelmed by the gift of their regard and acceptance." He laid his cheek against the line of her neck and gazed down at the miracle in their arms. His heart felt like it would explode against his ribs, it was so full of emotion. "My daughter is loved and accepted by everyone in her life. And she's not even a day old." Now his voice did crack and he watched a single tear slide down Nyota's skin to soak into the collar of her robe.

"And you, Spock, are loved and accepted by everyone in your life. You know that, don't you?" Her dark eyes searched his, tears shining in them.

"I can hardly believe it, but I can feel it." Spock leaned in for a deep, sweet kiss that tasted of their combined tears, cupping a hand against her cheek. "We are home, right now, all of us."

Nyota rested her forehead against his with a teary smile. "Finally home."

000


End file.
